Drum roll...the moment (blog) that you've all been waiting for. Notes on my vacation!
Friday, July 13th-We left really, really early in the morning. Like 4am early. Mom drove. I slept. I told her that she had to drive first because even though we've gone this route a 1000 time on the way to horse shows, I didn't know it because I always slept through it. We drove through our part of Missouri, all of Illinois, all of Indiana, all of Ohio, all of West Virginia (only like 20 miles) and part of Pennsylvania before stopping for the night. It rained during the last half of the trip including very heavily with hail in Ohio. It also never failed for me to be the one driving when we hit construction or going through the tunnel. Our hotel in Pennsylvania was next to a dairy to which I proclaimed that Pennsylvania smelled like dairy cows and I loved it! I told mom if she didn't know where I was in the morning that she'd know where I was-the dairy farm helping milk or feeding calves or something. Dairy cows are a serious disease. I am starting DCA soon.
Saturday, July 14th-We drove through some more very nice country side to get to Gettysburg only to discover that it was bikers week. Hmm....I left my Harley Davidson t-shirt at home. The park was very nice. Very large like 21000 acres were involved in the battle and some thing like 51000 people died over the three days. The whole park would of been better had either of us been serious Civil War buffs. An untasteful picture of me laying in a field was taken. We had rented horses for the afternoon and went on a guided trail ride for two hours. Ten of the 15 people on it were bikers. My butt was sore but mom's wasn't. (I think she has more padding.) I had a red gelding named Kirby who didn't really listen to me, kept his nose firmly attached to the horse's butt in front of him and then every once in a while tried to bite that same horse. After the ride, we drove into New Jersey where our hotel was. On the way, I had an ice cream cone-raspberry with dark chocolate raspberry cups.
Sunday, July 15th-We woke up and went into Philly to the Mutter Museum. We paid $25 for parking not knowing that we could of parked on the street for free. The museum was cool. I particularly liked the things about conjoined twins and fetal abnormalities. (That stuff also scares me about having kids.) But the museum was crowded so that sucked. It was a good thing though that I had a background in medicine (even veterinary medicine) and pathology. Mom then wanted to go to the art museum only to see the steps that Rocky ran up and the resulting Rocky statue at their base. We eventually found it and then spent half an hour looking for a parking spot. She however, wasn't being good with directions while I was trying not to hit cars or people and we ended up fighting. We didn't talk for the rest of the day and even though it was just around noon we went back to the hotel. No baseball game (Cards vs. Phillies, Cards won giving the Phillies their 10000th loss); no horse races (two big races were being ran at Deleware Park where we had considered going). Joe though I should apoligize as I knew he would and I didn't as he know I wouldn't.
Monday, July 16th-Still not talking to each other much and it being sort of raining, we got up early and hit the New Jersey turnpike towards Atlantic City. We went to the beach and down the boardwalk. After some fresh ocean air, mom and I were on speaking terms again and like nothing happened by the end of the day. I played in the ocean and chased a sea gull or two. We kept driving south, mom bought me some breakfast (per an previous agreement for me getting up early) and we ended up at Cape May and its light house. We looked at the light house and I played in the water at the beach again. It was good times. They we cut west across the state aiming for Deleware. We got sidetracked as a town's downtown was burning. Apparently,their fire department was about as capable as DeSoto's. (i.e. not.) We entered Deleware too late for the races at Deleware Park but into Pennsylvania again in time for post at Harrah's. We watched ten of 13 harness races. I had some horses come in the money-some big, some small. But I didn't actually bet.
Tuesday, July 17th-This day we did the Philiadelphia thing. We went to Independance Hall, Betsy Ross' house (the outside), the Liberty Bell and Franklin Court where I met Benjamin Franklin, my hero for a long time. I ate a Philly cheesesteak from a street vendor and it was amazing. We then drove through Chinatown on our way to Amish country. In Lancaster, we ate at Applebee's, which I am only mentioning because I had the shrimp and spinich salad and it was really, really good. It has bacon and except for vegitarians and some Jews, who doesn't like bacon?
Wednesday, July 18th-We woke up, drove around, bought some Amish crafts and then went on a tour of an Amish house. The one I really wanted to go to was in a Target parking lot so we went to a different one. The farm was cool and I learned alot but there were no cows which of course was disappointing to me. DCA next week, I promise. Then we went on an Amish carriage ride through the country. It was short but nice. I enjoyed it alot. I saw some more cows but not enough. After that, we went on a factory tour of Herr's Potato Chips. That was really neat. All like the TV show How Its Made. We ate some still warm potato chips. Yum. Then we drove through Maryland and didn't eat crabcakes even though we were really close to the Chesapeke Bay. Mom once again failed to point out resturants until we were on them or past them. Back into Pennsylvania and out for a place to eat that served seafood. We found a place and even though our $34 bill should say we ate well and mom proclaimed them the best crab cakes ever, I remain skeptical. Maybe I havn't eaten enough seafood.
Thursday, July 19th-After waking up again way too early, we left for home. It was of course rainy. Mom drove at the beginning while I slept and she had the pleasure of driving through four tunnels! (I'd later go on to drive through all of the construction still.) And even though it was 7am and even though the rain had driven us off on Friday, this time we stopped at the Flight 93 Memorial. Its a field where Americans stopped terror. There were lots of very personal tributes. I was sleeping and had nothing thoughtful to think. And I was cold. And sort of wet. Then more driving and home.
I got seven plastic snowglobes for my collection. I got presents for Joe, Alex, Hannah and my brother, Jerry. I got some Christmas presents for others.
I decided that with the state smelling like dairy cows as proclaimed early on, that Pennsylvania wouldn't be a bad place for me to live. Its really pretty. And Atlantic City would be a fun place to visit when its not the two or three hours that its all asleep. My vacation was fun. This was the first real vacation I have ever took. I need to go get my oil changed. (Not tonight of course, but maybe Monday or Tuesday.)
[EDIT-Orginally published to Blogger on 7/30/11]
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